​Ever felt lonely? Imagine one of seven English journalists in a park just outside Buenos Aires when Argentina have just knocked your side out of the World Cup.Imagine being seven glum faces in a sea of blue and white delirium with 150,000 locals going mad whilst the man on the microphone leads the hordes in a chant of “Messi, Messi!”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSame old story for England fans of a certain vintage but a different way to watch a game of football for sure. Over a quarter of a century covering the England rugby team has had its share of peaks and troughs. Fifty years of supporting the England football team has been pockmarked by despair – and there was more of it to come in South America as Thomas Tuchel’s men bowed out of the tournament.I watched England’s heartbreaking World Cup exit surrounded by ecstatic Argentinians in Buenos Aires (Reuters)As the final whistle blew the crowd who had gathered at Plaza Seber, about a 40 minute walk from down town Buenos Aires, in Palermo went ballistic.The man on the microphone then lowered the tone by adding “For Messi, for Las Malvinas” – and it had all been going so well.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAs the English hack pack emerged from Catedral metro station with the local fans screaming “Campiones, Campiones” a lone motorcycle unfurled a Malvinas flag as the tourists tried to make themselves scarce.Most of the local fans were heading to the Obelisk, which just happens to right opposite the hotel where the England rugby team are staying ahead of flying to Santiago del Estero for this weekend’s fixture against the Pumas. They won’t have got much sleep.At around 7am local time on Wednesday morning the streets of Buenos Aires were full of men, women and children clad in Argentinean shirts. There are only two names any self-respecting football fan from these parts puts on the back of their replica jerseys – Messi and Maradona.The woman running the launderette was wearing a Maradona shirt, the cleaner in the hotel was wearing a Messi shirt and the guy at reception in hotel was in the same gear. If you think we love football in England, you should take a trip to this vast country.There are only two names any self-respecting football fan from these parts puts on the back of their replica jerseys – Messi and Maradona (AP)In three trips here I have never had any problems over the Falklands conflict; most of the jibes from locals are about football. They were even selling cans of Quilmes, a local beer, with a picture of Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal on them this week. Talk about rubbing it in.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBy lunchtime the workers were rushing out of their offices to get one of the fan zones operating in the city and by 3pm, an hour from kick-off it was bedlam. The 40-minute walk to Plaza Seber took 50 minutes in a cab – cash only – and by the time we arrived at a hastily arranged press stage the place was rocking.The pa